"First, you lie about your sister going off the fight Loki. Then, you borrow my truck without asking. Now, you're sneaking around with one of our archenemies son?" Logan paced back and forth in front of Gwen, Emma behind him with an angry expression and crossed arms.

"He's not bad!" Gwen cried. "He's really good, and sweet! He likes my music and listens to me. Why can't you just except he's a good guy?"

"When you know a guy as long as I've known Nefaria, you can tell that his spawn ain't no good either."

Gwen mumbled under her breath.

"Watch your language, young lady!" Emma snapped.

Logan stomped out of the room. Gwen put her head in her hands, breathing. In. Out. Calm down.

Emma's eyes softened and she sat down next to her daughter, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "I know it seems like he's murdering you, darling," she said as she stroked some hair back. "But he only wants what's best for you."

"Michelangelo is what's best for me!" Her daughter cried. "I love him!"

"Oh, dear, you think you do," Emma said, hugging her daughter as she cried. Emma paused, then went on. "You know, I once had sexual relations with a married man I believed I loved."

Gwen sniffed, wiping a tear away. "Really?"

"Mmm-hmm. And I knew better, too. I knew that he and his wife had something special, but I got right between them."

"What happened?"

"His wife found out," said Emma, looking distant. "And we got into it. Later she died, and I got together with this man."

"And?"

Emma stiffened. "His wife came back from the dead. He and I grew apart. He went back to his wife, and I got with your father."

Gwen looked at her mother sharply. "Mom . . . did you have an affair with Mister Summers?"

"No, darling," Emma said. "He had an affair with me." She stood. Right before she left the room, she looked back at Gwen. "Sometimes we mistake love for something else. Just be careful."

Gwen was left sitting alone, thinking hard.

"Pepper, could you get home soon? I'm having issues with this new device."

Tony Stark talked into his headset as he concentrated on the computer.

"I'm on my way," she replied. "Is Amanda home yet?"

"No, dear."

Christian sat in a chair across from Tony, waiting patiently for Amanda Stark to get home.

"Hey, Tony," Christian said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Oh, but not about my age. I hate that."

"Do you ever wish you weren't a superhero?"

"Sometimes," said Tony without missing a beat.

"It's just that I feel like I'm not doing this team any real good," Chris sighed.

"It'll get better, I promise. Hand me that screwdriver, I'll take this whole damn thing apart if I have too."

Christian did as he was told, just as a female version of the Iron Man suit - this one bronze and gold - landed on the landing strip beside them. As she walked towards them, she pulled her helmet off, her red-orange locks falling out from under her helmet. Freckles danced across her nose, and her pretty brown eyes lit up when she entered the room.

"Hey, you," Amanda Stark said, giving Christian a quick peck on the lips as she stood on the machine that shed her of her armor. "This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here?"

"I just came by the drop off your cell phone," Chris said. "You left it in my car the other night."

She took her phone. "Come on," she said, taking his hand. "We'll go up to my room and talk."

The two went up to Amanda's large suite, and into her bedroom.

Christian spread out on the bed as Amanda changed from her Iron (Wo)Man Control suit into a pair of cargo pants and a t-shirt.

"What's up?" she asked, pulling her messy curls into a ponytail. "You look upset."

Christian sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I'm having problems. This X-Men thing is never going to work. We barley know each other."

"Well, you'll get to know each other," Amanda said as she layed down and cuddled up against him.

Christian nodded absently as he stroked her hair. Even though Amanda was a year older at nineteen, their relationship was as strong as one could be. They had been seeing each other since they were fifteen and sixteen, and had only been in a few petty fights. Everyone knew about their relationship - especially the press, who was always trying to catch a picture of the Stark Millionaire Heiress Super Hero with her Mutant Muse.

But Christian still loved her deeply. There were few things in his life that mattered more to him than Manda did.

"Christian," Manda said after a long few minutes of silence. "Everything will be okay." She rolled over to be on top of him, twirling his hair around her fingers. "You know," she said. "You've been eighteen for a few weeks now. I was thinking we could finally move in together."

Christian smiled. "I suggested that three months ago!"

"You weren't legal." She tapped his nose. "But now we're both young adults. Why not take advantage of it?" She sobered. "And I've decided that you were right. I probably should move into the X-Mansion."

"What about your Avengers?" Christian asked, shocked.

"Hey, if your dad can be an X-Man and an Avenger, so can I."

Christian grinned and rolled over on her, making her giggle as he kissed her neck.

Temperance sank into the hot tub, sighing at the boiling water.

Christian was in New York with Amanda, the older X-Men had all gone out to dinner to celebrate Bobby and Amara's wedding anniversary, Gwen had sneaked out over an hour ago, and the younger X-Men went out to a movie.

It was just Temperance and Nick.

Temperance wrapped her feet around Nick's, who was leaning back quite comfortably sipping some of the daiquiris Temperance had brought out. He smiled at Temperance.

"Is this helping your injury any?" Temp asked.

"Oh, yeah. This is great."

"Good." Temperance took a sip of her drink, and the two listened to the crickets and looked at the stars.

Temperance had set candles all around the area, and had been pleasantly surprised when she found a bouquet of roses awaiting her on the picnic table.

This was the most romantic night of her life.

Temperance moved to Nick's side, carefully cuddling up next to him.

"Thanks for arranging this," Nick said, wrapping his uninjured arm around her.

She laid her head against him. "It was my pleasure. It's so hard to get any alone time around here."

Nick chuckled. "That's an understatement."

Temperance laughed and looked up into Nick's eyes.

Nick looked back at her. "Temperance," Nick said. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you." Her eyes shone, and he continued. "I lo-"

"Hi there, party people!" Nick was broke off as Deadpool, wearing noting but boxers with hearts all over them and his mask, entered the water, shoving Nick and Temperance apart so he could be in the middle.

"This is nice," Deadpool said. "This is real nice. Whose idea was it to put in a hot tub? This is really nice."

"Mine," Temperance frowned. "Nick and I had planned on having a romantic evening." She cleared her throat. "Alone."

"I know what you're sayin'. It's so hard to get a moments peace around here!" Deadpool looked at the drink in Nick's hand. "You drinking that? Thanks." He took it and pulled his mask up, gulping it.

"Why didn't you go with the other X-Men?" Asked Nick, annoyed.

"I'm not into all that romantic crap." He blew out a candle. "I would rather stay here, and hang out with you guys!" He wrapped his arms around their shoulders. "This is so much fun!"

Temperance sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and begging her headache - AKA Wade Wilson - to go away. Or get eaten by a shark. Or something.

Suddenly a jolt hit Temperance's mind. Though she didn't show it on the outside, she was suffering on the inside - something had hit her mind, and hit it hard.

"Somethings not right." She stood. "What is that?"

"What's up, Temp?" Nick asked, standing.

Temperance wrapped a robe around her bikini clad body in an attempt to gain some warmth. "I'm not sure," she replied. "But I'm going to check it out. I'll be right back."

Stepping into her boots, she wrapped her robe tighter and went out to the front gait, looking around in the darkness. She extended her mind, and found another conscious in the tree behind her.

But it was too late. Something snapped out of no where and grabbed the back of her robe, yanking it off.

"Woo, yeah baby, take it off!"

Wrapping her arms around her, she spun around. "Why, you disgusting little snot!" she snapped at the figure in the tree. "Give me my robe back immediately!"

"Ha, you'll have to come and get it!" Temperance got a good look at him. He was a greenish color, with exposed webbed fingers and toes. He had oily black hair, and yellow eyes. He held her robe in his hand.

Temperance raised an eyebrow. The boy in the tree was suddenly encased in a blue, almost glittery source, which brought him down from the tree and right in front of Temperance.

She snatched her robe. "Never steal something from a telekinetic!" She snapped. She let go of him, and he fell to the ground.

"Now, who are you and what are you doing here?" Temperance asked as she slipped back into her robe.

"Hey, no need to get so upset, I was just kiddin' around!" He scrambled up, dusting himself off. "My names Mayson. Mayson Toynbee. I'm new to the area. Just lookin' around."

"You're a mutant."

"Hey, you too."

Temperance crossed her arms. "Don't be snippy." She sighed. "I'm Temperance Howlett, leader of the X-Men."

"X-Men, huh?" Mayson jumped back onto his tree branch, hanging upside down. Temperance noticed his long, pink tongue, but decided not to say anything. "What do you guys do anyway?"

"Well, we're superheroes," Temperance said. "We help people. Human and mutant."

"Sounds interesting. Are all of the other X-Men as pretty as you?"

Temperance almost gave an amused smile. "Oh, definitely." She tilted her head. "Do you have anywhere to go, Mayson? This is a place for mutants. A sanctuary. You'd be welcome here."

"Thanks, honey," Mayson said, swinging onto the ground. "But I've already got a posse." He hopped away, leaving Temperance alone.